Contribution of an Old Friend
by Raiyuki
Summary: Haku's alive and well. He returns to Konoha with information about Orochimaru, but ends up playing a rather major role in advancing Naruto and Hinata's relationship whilst forging one of his own. NaruHina, HakuSaku. I suck at summaries. There is a plot.
1. Chapter 1

Ohayo, everyone. Well, it's morning as I submit this, anyway...

I am rewriting 'Contribution' and have changed my name for reasons I'd rather keep confidential. You have likely noticed the rating change. You know what that means.

I have been honing my writing skills, so this will hopefully be somewhat better than what I submitted the first time, but live and learn, no?

I don't think I'll reintroduce the 'authors note' in the beginning and end of each chapter, because it messes up my thinking on how to portray the characters' personalities. I have however, read some comedy from various authors of books and fanfictions, (including Bill Bryson and Ambrant Arandel) so I think I can keep the characters in tune while still adding an element of humor to it, unlike last time.

For those who are just joining me now, ohayo to you to. M'name's Rai, you will address me as such. This fic revolves around Haku. Everyone's favorite, girly spring flower who I can relate to. Yes, he's alive, well, and straight on top of it, so any yaoi fangirls are asked to please leave the immediate vicinity. (Gestures toward the 'back' button.)

Well, here goes.

* * *

The boy's feet were worn and sore from their constant use on the footpath. His long and unkempt hair rustled in the breeze. A bindle full of onigiri and hardtack was slung over the shoulder of a pink kimono, which was too big for him.

Sweet Spring air filled his nostrils and tugged at the loose clothing, except for one piece. A hitai-ate tied firmly to his shoulder, four symmetric waves etched into the surface disturbed the smooth and luminous sheen of the metal.

Plants around this boy were springing to life after winter's cold embrace, and the boy stopped momentarily to look down at the side of the path. A small daisy, insignificant perhaps, but what else did the boy have to do? He bent over and plucked the young flower, inhaling its scent deeply, before pulling it back to examine the white petals.

"My namesake," he said deliberately. "Haku," At this, he laid the juvenile plant between his ear and temple, adding even more so to the effeminate air about him. The young man continued to walk in silence.

Despite the carefree atmosphere about this boy, he was anything but. He was living in poverty. Life was hard for a nuke-nin, and he did not want to take part of it anymore. Part of the reason it was so hard to find work anymore was because of the same hitai-ate he wore on himself, but he refused to take it off. This was no ordinary forehead protector. Pale fingers found their way to the sheet of cloth and steel. Haku's heart ached. "Zabuza otou-san..." he whispered. The man who had raised him and died for him. In all aspects his adopted father.

Haku's course was to Fire Country. It had been around– oh, three or four months since he had escaped. He had found another sensei for a temporary period. One of the legendary Saanin, the one said to have tamed the snake boss and created his own village. The great Orochimaru-sama. Haku had joined him willingly, in hopes of finding another father, but immediately fled when he learned of a conspiracy to kidnap one Haku had befriended. The one called Uchiha.

Haku ran a hand through his hair. It was strange, it was almost as if Orochimaru had let him escape. He had sent no tracker nin to recover him, no traps, no assassination attempts... odd. He let the thought drop for the moment and focused on the task at hand. He needed to reach Konoha, and quickly, and be able to prevent the deed from becoming accomplished. He had been traveling for weeks on end by foot, living off of whatever he could throw a senbon at, and was hoping that he might be able to get a job with decent wages at the leaf village. He also wanted to see some old friends there. He inwardly grinned and spurred his legs into a run with some difficulty, given that he was wearing a kimono, but he kept at it in the anticipation of seeing team 7 again for the first time in half a year. He was very close now. He could feel it.

Eventually, the boy's legs slowed to a halt at the edge of a cliff looking over a great city. Not far below him was a large gate with several kanji on the top. "The Village Hidden in the Leaf" He said aloud. "It's about time,"

Haku hastily began to descend the cliff, his heart warmed at the prospect of warm food and friends.

* * *

Well, I am really very sorry that this is so short everybody. You tell me. Do you want shorter chapters and more updates, or longer chapters and less updates? Seriously, please tell me.

Constructive criticism is appreciated.

Please R&R

–Rai


	2. Chapter 2

I got inspired to write today.

I don't own Naruto. If I did, Sakura would have been stabbed to death a long time ago.

* * *

Haku eagerly stepped across the thresh of the large gated city, and looked ahead of him at the beautiful place.

"Halt," He stopped at the sound of a masculine voice. "What business do you have here, I've never seen you before," It was one of the guards, he was sitting in the stall where the guard chuunin always seem to be. Apparently, the other nin had dosed off from boredom and his face was covered in ink from a kanji brush. Haku caught a glimpse a trio of smaller children scurrying away quickly down the street with a calligraphy kit.

"I bring urgent news to the Sandaime of Konoha," Haku replied, half interested.

The guard looked at the beauty before him. She was dressed very strangely. Actually, she was dressed normally for a girl, but the irregularity came from a hitai-ate on her shoulder. If he wasn't mistaken, it was a mist headband.

"The Sandaime is not in the city at the moment," The guard said quickly, clearly suspicious.

Haku frowned. "When will he return,"

The man hesitated. "He will not," He finally answered.

It took Haku a moment to comprehend the words. "What." He said more than asked.

"Sandaime Hokage passed on two months ago," he said.

"What?!" Haku's voice cracked in a yell. "No!" He punched the stone wall, cracking the brick. This jolted the sleeping chuunin out of his slumber, and he ungracefully fell out of his chair, but quickly jumped up with a kunai, as well as the other guard. Haku seemed oblivious to this. Everything was different now. He had come to simply inform the Hokage that his student was going to launch an attack on Konoha, he hadn't really expected to be too late. "It was him, wasn't it?" Haku strained to say. "Orochimaru-sensei," He looked around again at the city. This time, he did not see just the wonder of civilization and good food, but many construction workers and broken buildings. Obviously scars gained from an assault.

There was a smash, and the tinkle of glass. Haku slumped over and fell sideways. Genma stood behind him, clutching a broken sake bottle.

"Genma! What the hell did you do that for?!" The more alert of the two guards yelled at him.

"One. I heard the phrase 'Orochimaru-sensei'. Two. Now you can bring him to the ANBU and interrogate him. Three. I am very, _very_ drunk." He replied.

* * *

Haku's eyes fluttered open in a dimly lit room. As he looked around, he saw that the light was coming from a series of scented candles, the combination of which made a rather intoxicating and sleep inducing smell. He seemed to be tied to a wooden chair.

"She's awake." A deep voice said. Haku moaned. The noise made his head swim. What the hell had he been hit with?

He felt a muscular hand grasp his chin and force his head up. "Look into my eyes." came the voice of a masked ANBU. Haku forced himself to speak.

"How do I do that? I can't see them." The man cursed and ripped off his mask. He had a scowl on his face and an even scar down the length of his nose. His red hair stood straightly back behind him.

"Look into my eyes," he repeated. Haku did, he couldn't really do much else. His chin was still being gripped firmly by the hypnotist. "When I tap your forehead, you will be asleep..." he said softly. Maybe it was the scented candles, maybe Haku just wanted to prove he was benign, but he allowed himself to be put under.

"What is your name?"

"...Haku..."

"Your full name?"

"...Yukioushi..."

"Why are you in Konoha?"

"...to help..."

"To help what?"

"...Sandaime stop Orochimaru-sensei..."

"What connections do you have with Orochimaru?"

"...former sensei..."

"Why did you flee?"

"...sensei... trying to hurt friends..."

"Who are your friends he was trying to hurt?"

"...Uzumaki... Uchiha... Haruno... Hatake..."

"Do you mean any harm at all to Konoha or it's allies?"

"...no..."

"Where is your destination in the village?"

"...Hokage..."

The ANBU tapped him on the forehead.

"We will escort you to the tower." The ANBU cut Haku's bonds from the chair.

Haku blinked, realizing that he must have gone under. He struggled to get up, his head swimming. "No thank you," he muttered.

"I'm afraid we must. You have information about Orochimaru. We cannot let that information go unguarded. We will let you go when we reach the tower."

Haku swayed. His head throbbed, his hair smelled like blood and alcohol, his clothes were battered and ripped. "Can I sit down for a minute?" He asked.

"You've been sitting down for 45 minutes. Let's go."

Haku groaned and stood up again. Head pounding, he followed the ANBU out of the room. His pupils dilated in the bright light of the afternoon sun. Still, he shielded his eyes and continued following the ANBU. Eventually, his eyes adjusted, and his headache began to subside a little. They reached the tower with little delay, and the ANBU left Haku at the door.

But instead of knocking immediately after his escort left him, he instead made his way to the public shower. There was no way that he was going to pass up an opportunity like that, and his priorities were different now, as he had already basically failed his quest.

Only when he was washing the blood out of his hair did he realize that he had no plan for what he was going to do after he relayed his information to the Hokage. But one thing he did know was that he was sick of wandering around all the time. He wanted a home.

Perhaps he could register as a shinobi here. There were people here who could vouch for his abilities.

Perhaps he would, perhaps he wouldn't, he'd have to decide at some point, he reasoned.

* * *

Okay, there's the chapter. Please r&r. 


	3. Chapter 3

Hi guys. It looks like I haven't lost any of your loyalty, so I'm going to try and keep semi-regular updates going, so let's say... once every three or four days... maybe once a week if I get slack.

Unfortunately, I will be at a language camp for two weeks after the 19th, so I am quite certain that I won't be able to update. And then once college starts up again, I am not sure that I'll be able to update as frequently.

Still, I should think that I'll be hanging in there, so don't get high hopes, but don't lose faith either.

* * *

Haku took his dear sweet time getting dried and dressed, and then finally stepped out of the public shower room into a vacant hallway.

He walked casually to the door with 'fire' written on its surface, and knocked twice, firmly, but not hard.

The door creaked open slightly and the eyes of a girl who was probably in her late twenties appeared to look at him. "Can I help you?" Shizune asked formally.

Haku straightened a bit. "Yes, I am here to transfer a message to the Hokage. May I see him?"

Shizune raised an eyebrow. "You don't read the papers, do you girl?" Shizune opened the door fully and stepped out, shutting the door swiftly behind her.

"Uh... I've been in the forests for two months." He replied, unsure as to how he should answer the question.

"I will let the Hokage know that you wish to speak with her. She should be free in about twenty minutes. Please have a seat, and fill out this form." She handed him a clipboard and pulled a yellow sheet of paper from a pile on a wooden table. She slipped the paper onto the clipboard, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a pen. She handed the objects to him.

Haku nodded his thanks, then slumped down next to the doors, holding the clipboard on his legs. He started writing down the standard things while he let his mind wander a bit.

"_So the new Hokage is a woman..._ he thought as he doodled his name. _good! It's about time, I've had it with sexism. It's nice to see a woman in a position of power."_ You see, Haku, being as effeminate as he is, is all too often treated like a woman. As you may well know, women are not always treated as equally as men in... whatever the hell day and age it is in this plot. You'll note that Tsunade is the only truly powerful woman in the entire story.

Anyway, Haku was often treated as a woman, because either people don't know he's a man, or because people subconsciously forget that he is a man, so he had a very feminist view on life.

Haku sighed as he signed the bottom of the sheet. As he did so, the door swung open.

"Finally!" A voice he knew well yelled out into the hallway. "Finally I get to look for Sasuke, god damn! What took her so long?"

"Shut up, gaki! I told you a thousand times, there were more pressing matters!" A bold female voiced yelled from behind him

"Ts-Tsunade-sama! Please don't yell, Kiba told me Akamaru went deaf for two days the last time you yelled at them," The voice was barely audible and feminine.

The louder female voice sighed. "Just go and pack, you're leaving in two days."

Naruto marched out of the room with Hinata. As unobserving of his surroundings as ever, he turned sharply, and tripped over Haku.

"Aaah!" Naruto yelled.

"Gahh!" Haku yelled.

"Aah!" Hinata agreed.

Haku, out of reaction, held his arms out to catch Naruto. Unfortunately, Naruto fell right through the gap and landed fully on top of Haku. They rolled wildly, which resulted in Naruto's head falling onto Haku's lap.

"Damn it all!" He yelled, then stopped to look at who he fell on, and Haku looked to see who had fell on him. Their gaze locked. Then Naruto raised an eyebrow. He sat up. "Haku, is that you?" He asked.

Haku nodded and grinned, standing up, and then helping Naruto up. They embraced for a minute, while Hinata was trying to compute what had just happened.

"Dude! I haven't seen you in months! How have you been?" Haku asked energetically. His body had only just stopped pumping adrenaline at the false alarm.

They stepped out of the embrace, and locked their hands in a Scottish handshake.

By now, Hinata had recovered, and was flaming inside. Who the hell was this new girl who was walking in on her turf?! Well, it wasn't exactly her turf yet, but she was determined to admit herself on their next mission... well, Naruto definitely seemed to be very friendly with her. She'd have to watch for more.

"I've been great. What have you been doing all this time?"

"I'll tell you later, I think I'll be sticking around for a while." Haku said enthusiastically, which was a rarity for him.

"Okay, well I want to hear everything! I know! Meet me at Ichiraku's at 7:00!" Naruto said.

Haku said, "I'll see what I can do. I'm not sure I can make it, but I'll try!"

Shizune stepped out and took the clipboard from Haku. "The Hokage will see you now." Shizune said flatly. She eyed Naruto and Haku. "You two... know each other?" Haku nodded.

"Long story."

They broke the handshake. "Okay then, I guess I'll see you at some point! Bye Haku!" Naruto finished. He and Hinata left down the hallway, Hinata was twiddling her fingers more than normal.

Shizune and Haku watched them leave.

Once they were out of sight, Shizune said, "They'd make a cute couple, wouldn't they?"

Haku nodded his agreement. "I can already tell she likes him," Haku declared. He turned to her. She gave him a small smile. If this girl was friends with Naruto, she was somewhat certain that she didn't have to be very formal.

"The Hokage will see you now." She repeated.

Haku gave a small grin in return and moved through the doorway.

* * *

Wow. Maybe it's because I've written this all before, but this is going fast!

I have a favor to ask of reviewers. I am forgetting to eat. Usually, I just eat dinner each day out of habit. So, if you guys could remind me to eat when you review, I'd appreciate it, since I check reviews fairly often.

Thanks, and I reckon I'll update fairly soon.

Please r&r

–Rai


	4. Chapter 4

Everybody? I'm going to apologize ahead of time, because I know you guys want to see what will happen and get to the interesting parts, but nothing much will actually happen in this chapter, or the next few after it. There will be a lot of discussion and setup. Remember, you have to make the bow, fletch the arrow, weave the bowstring, string the bow, and nock the arrow before you can shoot it. So... just hold fast.

–Rai

* * *

Naruto and Hinata went their separate ways once they got out of the building. Naruto to his smelly slum, and Hinata to her white collar family compound. Neither of them really noticed the others' absence because for one, Naruto barely even acknowledges her presence in the first place. However, Hinata didn't notice because she was thinking a bit much about what she had seen.

It did seem like there was a strong bond between Naruto and this new girl. The bond seemed almost brother/sister, even. Still, she couldn't be sure, as they had only been there for forty seconds at most. She really was curious as to what their relationship was about, granted that all of that curiosity obviously came from her infatuation with the blond boy.

Hinata walked through the gate of the compound. She wanted, oh so desperately, to believe that the relationship of Naruto and this new Haku was simply one of friendship.

But she couldn't bring herself to believe it. Perhaps you've had a deep crush at some point. And when you see them talking or hanging out with someone of the opposite sex, you just get a furious jealousy and make assumptions. You can't explain it, you feel guilty about it, because you want that person to be happy, but you want to be happy yourself. But at the same time, you begin to believe that you are just being selfish _because_ you want to be happy.

Hinata had been living like this for years. It had all started when she was little more than a toddler.

When Hinata was in her very early years, her mother was a godsend, Hinata's only friend in the world and reason for living. She was treated like a chess piece by the rest of her family, never regarded as a human being.

Nagoyaka Hyuuga was apparently the most gentle and loving Hyuuga if you were to ask someone on the street, which also gained her a fair amount of respect from the people of Konoha. On top of it, she was a wonderful mother.

One day, when she was five years old, Hinata was feeling lower than she did most days. She was showing no potential as a ninja, and her father lost his temper and struck her. She fled to her room and cried into the pillow for half an hour. Nagoyaka had heard the story from a servant, and brought Hinata to the park.

Not the park in the Hyuuga compound where main branch members could berate her for her lack of skill. A public park with other children.

But Hinata couldn't help but notice that there was one boy in particular at the park who looked as sad as she did.

He sat at the mouth of the slide on the playground. Hinata, forgetting the pain in her cheek and her heart, hopped off the bench she was sitting at with her mother. She walked slowly over to the boy. He didn't notice her. He was staring at the ground.

"Why are you sad?" She asked, cocking her head.

The boy looked up quickly, startled by the noise. His eyes were a pale, cobalt blue, and looked as though they were trying to conceal a lot of pain.

"Nobody will play tag with me," he said simply.

"Why?" Hinata asked automatically.

"I don't know."

"I could play tag with you," She said.

Naruto jerked his head up. "You will?! Wait... you're just putting me on like all the other kids, aren't you?" Hinata shrugged.

"I think you weigh too much for me to put on, but I'll try if you really want me to."

Naruto laughed. "I said the same thing the first time I heard that."

"Are we going to play tag, or not?" Hinata put her hands on her hips in a mock-authority way.

"You mean it?" Naruto jumped up from the slide.

"Yeah!" She said, getting impatient.

Naruto tapped her on the shoulder and bolted. "Tag, you're it!" he called.

It's strange how mothers always seem to know just what you need.

* * *

Hinata didn't realize that she was in her room already.

She sat down on the bed, twiddling her index fingers.

"_Maybe I should just stay out of his business, I owe it to him..."_ she thought. But somehow, she just couldn't resist.

She had plans for 7:00 tonight.

* * *

Haku walked through the doors, Shizune following behind him. Haku stood politely whilst the Hokage massaged her temples.

Finally, she looked up at him, and examined the clipboard Shizune handed to her.

"Mr. Yukioushi. You come to us fleeing Orochimaru." She looked up at him. "Hypnosis evaluation states that you are not planning to harm us, which likely means that you are planning to help us?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I am here to give the position or Orochimaru's current hideout. Or at least one of them. You see, Orochimaru doesn't keep one consistent hideout because–"

"He doesn't want his position betrayed by escapees like you." The Hokage finished.

"Yes," Haku said bitterly.

"How exactly were you connected to Orochimaru?" Tsunade continued.

"I was his student. Please, this is beside the matter, but tell me. Did he capture Uchiha?"

Tsunade nodded, but remained silent. Eventually, Shizune said from the side. "Orochimaru didn't really capture him, Sasuke just walked right to him."

Haku let out a little gasp, but decided to ask later.

"I apologize, Mr. Yukioushi, but I don't think you have a whole lot of useful information for us. I'm sorry you had to come all this way for nothing." Tsunade said dismissively.

Haku decided there and then.

"Hokage-sama, I have a request." Haku said. Tsunade looked up.

"Hokage-sama, I've been a nomad all of my life. I– I want a home. I want to settle. I want to apply as a shinobi here in Konoha."

* * *

Hi again. Umm... yes, this uneventfulness is going to drag for a few chapters, as I said before.

Oh, if you guys didn't understand what Hinata said;

"I think you weigh too much for me to put on, but I'll try if you really want me to."

She, being little more than a toddler, thought that when Naruto said "putting me on", she thought he meant like you'd put on clothes.

Please r&r.

–Rai


	5. Chapter 5

Sup, guys. Seeing as I'm going to be going to camp for two weeks (starting the 19th), I am going to write as many chapters as I possibly can beforehand. Then, when I am at camp, I will pass the buck to my good friend Smallkeller, who will upload them.

Depending on how many chapters I will have written, I will distribute them evenly throughout the weeks.

Well, that's my plan, anyway... I haven't even asked him yet... I'll get back to you guys on that.

Okay, well then, let's get this show on the internet.

* * *

"A shinobi?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes, as I said earlier, I want a home, and I want something to live for again." Haku said, a look of pleading in his eyes.

Tsunade was silent for a moment. "Well, if you were useful to Orochimaru, you will probably be useful to us. Unfortunately, I cannot make the decision to allow you to become a shinobi alone. I must consult the city council." Tsunade said seriously. "And I must warn you, most of the council, like much of this village, is very narrow minded. Fortunately though, a student of Orochimaru's has been permitted into the ranks of our shinobi before, so I think that I may be able to persuade them."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" Haku bowed low.

"I will bring the necessary paperwork to you later today. Where are you staying?"

Haku shifted uncomfortably. "I– I don't really know."

There was a pause. "Why don't you stay with Naruto? You seem to know him." Shizune broke the silence.

Haku looked at her. "I can't intrude like that."

"Yes, you can." Tsunade was scribbling on a sheet of paper. "Because you have my permission." She handed it to him.

"I– I can't do that!" He insisted.

"Well, you have to, because THAT'S AN ORDER!!" Tsunade roared. "For Kami's sake, kid. Stop being so modest and just _do_ what you need to do to survive the cold night! Now go, I'll get back to you later."

Haku bowed again reluctantly. _"I'm pretty sure I've spent colder nights on park benches,"_ he thought. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Then, Haku high-tailed it and left.

* * *

What to pack, what to pack? Naruto was left staring at an empty knapsack. He shrugged and tossed in a couple packages of instant ramen.

So Haku was in Konoha. Naruto grinned, thinking back to when he first met his friend, and kicked himself mentally for what he had initially thought. The embarrassment never quite left him after mistaking Haku's gender.

Naruto stepped over to the sink to begin filling his 3-liter camelback with water. Still, friendship aside, he couldn't help wonder what Haku was doing in Konoha.

_I'll figure out at 7:00_, he told himself. Allowing his mind to stray from the subject, he thought ahead to the mission he was going to begin in two days. His eyes seemed to smile with lust for a brief moment. _"Sakura-chan, Hinata-chan, and me."_ The smile found its way to his lips. Perhaps he could "accidentally" snag a glimpse or two of something he wasn't supposed to see. Even better, maybe this would be the mission that Sakura-chan would come around.

"_Oh, Sakura-chan, when will you ever learn that Sasuke will only hurt you?"_ Naruto thought.

Naruto had long since given up trying to resist the side-effects of hanging out with Jiraya. Perverseness and unhealthy amounts of interest in women to name just a few.

He looked at the clock casually and realized that it was long after 6:00.

Mind overflowing with curiosity, Naruto grabbed his coin purse without a second thought, and sped out the door.

* * *

Sakura, exhausted and exasperated, made her way to her house. Trudging as though she were walking through neck-deep snow, she contemplated the mission her sensei had assigned to her just minutes before dismissing her for the day.

She would be going on a mission with Naruto and Hinata, which for one, meant that Naruto would be flirting with her nonstop. Not only would it drive Sakura nuts, but it would also make her feel guilty because Hinata would be there to witness it all. _"Why doesn't that dumbass just leave me alone and take Hinata?!"_ she wailed inside her head. Well, there was one upside to the mission...

_"Sasuke-kun..." _She would finally be able to look for Sasuke.

* * *

Silently, after telling her father that she was going to do some Byakugan training in the dark, Hinata made her way to the ramen stand, stealthily hopping from treetop to treetop.

* * *

Hi everybody. Sorry for the delay, I had some computer problems, as well as a little bit of writer's block. I know that this chapter is shorter than a lot of the others, but I thought that this would be a good place to end it. 

Uhh... well, please r&r!

–Rai


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the wait, everyone. I don't really have an excuse. I was lazy, sorry to leave you hanging.

* * *

Shizune led Haku out of the building, walking slowly while Haku filled her in on how he knew Naruto, and she, him. Her story also filled him in on a lot of new that he had missed while in the forest for the past few months.

They stopped at the exit. "Hey, sorry for mistaking your gender," Shizune said awkwardly. "but you do look…"

Haku gave a little chuckle. "Don't sweat it, I'm used to it." He said simply, and walked out the door, and added Shizune to his mental list of people who kicked themselves every time they saw him. It was quite extensive at this point.

Haku took three steps, intending to walk to Naruto's apartment, but then realized that he had no idea where it was. He then spotted a public clock out of the corner of his eye.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped on to it. "_Bloody hell! It's 7:14!__"_ He had nearly forgotten!

"Shizune-san!" He called back.

"What?" Shizune turned around. She had started up the stairs.

"Which way to Ichiraku's ramen stand?" He asked.

Shizune squinted and counted on her fingers. "About five blocks that way, then take a left, and go another block." She pointed in a westerly direction.

He sped off in the direction she had pointed.

* * *

Hinata flicked a balled up leaf from her palm and watched it fall to the ground in that bored way one might do in school when the teacher is droning on like a fan.

She had been sitting in the tree for about half an hour, and nothing had happened, except that Naruto scratched his ass once or twice, and that Hinata had nearly been discovered by a child who had kicked her soccer ball into the tree in which she was perched.

_"Figures, she'd stand him up."_ She thought, happy and angry at the same time. On one hand, the girl didn't show up, which was good for Hinata, because it heightened her chances of getting Naruto. On the other hand, Naruto was probably feeling upset about his date ditching him, which made Hinata feel angry at the girl, and guilty for feeling glad about something that made Naruto feel like crap.

But then, a flicker of movement. Naruto didn't see it, but Hinata did. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, the girl was standing on a rooftop ten yards from her. She scowled, and cursed under her breath. Suddenly, the girl paused. Her head snapped up, and she stood stock-still, scanning the landscape.

Hinata's breath froze in her lungs, and she lay as motionless as she could be in the crotch of the tree, eyes fixed on Haku. Had she heard her? Even from that far away?

When the girl's eyes began scanning the tree, they stopped, and stared straightforward, making perfect eye-contact with Hinata.

Hinata let out a little "Eep!" and nearly lost her balance. But her eyes remained fixed on Haku. Even from this distance, she could see her raise an eyebrow. And then Haku did something unexpected.

* * *

He smiled. His eyes flicked from Hinata in the tree, to the unaware Naruto at the ramen stand, and then back to Hinata. He gave her a wink, and leapt off the roof, landing with a little 'clop' on the ground.

This caught Naruto's attention. His head turned quickly to the source of the noise, then he grinned. "What took you?"

"Hokage-sama held me a bit longer than I expected," He lied, not wanting to admit that he had been chatting with Shizune for twenty minutes before he remembered that he had dinner plans. "Well, we're not going to get to eat if we just stand here all night. Let's get some food."

"Might I say you look gorgeous, m'Lady?" Naruto joked before they went in.

"Shut up," Haku said sourly.

* * *

Hinata was freaking out. Ooh! The nerve of that girl, the way she mocked her with that wink!

She would continue to watch, whether Haku knew it or not.

* * *

Yes, it's another short chapter, but I'm going to update tomorrow. Once again, this just seemed like a good place to end it… that and my laptop is running out of power.

Uhh… well, please r&r!

--Rai


	7. Chapter 7

Oi. Well, I said that I'd update today, so that's what I'm doing.

**IMPORTANT**: I reckon most of you on the alerts list haven't read chapter 6, since I know it doesn't send an alert when a chapter is replaced. So… if you haven't read chapter 6, go back and read it.

* * *

"Two miso pork ramens, please." Naruto said.

"Hello Naruto, who's your friend?" Ayame asked, smiling as ever.

Naruto turned to Haku. "Haku, I'd like you to meet Ayame-nee-chan, and the old man who runs the shop. His name escapes me, so I just call him Oji-san."

Ayame's grandfather chuckled as he kneaded the dough.

"Ayame-nee-chan and Oji-san, this is Haku from Water Country." Naruto introduced.

Haku gave a curt bow to the two of them respectively. "Pleased to meet you." He gave a friendly smile.

Ayame bowed as well, while the old man grunted, and the two took their seats.

"So," Naruto got right to the point, "you said you'd fill me in on what you've been doing." He gestured with his hand for Haku to begin.

Ayame poured out two glasses of water and set them on the counter and leaned in to listen as well. Haku looked seriously into his glass for a moment, he pulled a few droplets of condensation from the cup and began to fidget with them, with his chakra, tossing them about in the air in front of his eyes.

He watched them for about fifteen seconds until Naruto cleared his throat impatiently. Haku blinked, seeming to have just realized where he was. The droplets froze and clattered onto the countertop.

"Sorry," Haku said. His voice suddenly lost of any trace of happiness. It sounded remarkably similar to when Naruto fought him on the bridge. "It wasn't a very happy period of my life." He was silent for a moment.

"Well, after Kakashi killed Zabuza-otou-san, I sort of lost my identity. After living my life as a tool, and not being needed anymore, I didn't know what to do with myself.

"I don't blame Kakashi, of course. He was only doing his job. But, anyway, as you know, I helped finish the bridge that you were named after. After that, I just sort of… wandered. I spent most of my time blind drunk, because I wanted to forget.

"Soon after, I did something that I now regret." He paused. "I joined the ranks of Orochimaru."

Two gasps came from his left, and the old man dropped something on the floor.

Haku saw the fist coming, but did nothing to stop it. He braced himself for the hit, but for some reason it never came.

He opened his eyes and looked to see what was going on. It wasn't quite as he had expected. Naruto, it seemed was restraining Ayame, who was trying to claw at Haku. Naruto pinned her arms to the countertop. "I'll teach you to kill our Hokage, you little shit!" She screeched, struggling as hard as she could.

"Stop!" Both Naruto and the shop owner yelled. The old man threw the contents of a glass of ice water onto Ayame's head.

She stopped struggling.

Haku continued. "I had a sense of _meaning_ again. I quit drinking, and did as Orochimaru told me. This went on for a few months, until I heard of a ploy to abduct one of the people I had befriended." He paused. "I think you know who I'm talking about."

There was a silence, in which the only thing heard was the dripping of water, and Ayame's heavy breathing.

"I came here to join you, Naruto, not betray you. I was in Tsunade-sama's office to reveal one of Orochimaru's many bases." He finished. A tear rolled down his cheek, but he made no attempt to wipe it away.

Ayame looked down and tried to disguise a sob as a cough, but it ended up sounding like a choked gasp. Naruto let go of her arms, which she folded up and buried her face in. The old man picked up the wooden bowl he had dropped.

"I'm sorry," Haku whispered, and put his hand on Ayame's soaked head.

"Ayame," the manager said gently. "you know that you can't truly judge a person based on their past." He gestured towards Naruto. She gave another cough/sob. Haku was a bit confused by the gesture, he didn't speak, but removed his hand.

Ayame stood up and walked to the back of the shop. She didn't come back out. The boys ate their ramen in silence.

* * *

Hinata was contemplating what she had heard.

She had since moved from the tree to the top of the very stand her subjects were positioned in. She reacted similarly to Ayame, not the crying so much, but she had almost abandoned her post to do her duty as a soldier, and attack the enemy.

As guilty as she was for thinking of herself after what she had just heard, the fact that the girl used to be from enemy ranks had to up her chances somewhat, right?

* * *

Naruto paid the old man for the food. Surprisingly, he only ate one bowl that night. Well, that wasn't that surprising for Haku, as he'd never seen Naruto's freakish appetite for the stuff before.

Haku noted as they stepped out that Hinata was no longer in the trees, but he felt her eyes on him nonetheless.

He sighed, and they walked in silence for a while, examining the ground as if it had suddenly become interesting.

"Ayame-nee-chan used to tell me about how when she was very young, she'd love to go to the storytelling that Sandaime-oji-san used to tell every Sunday evening." Naruto broke the silence. His voice cracked. "She'd go any time her parents would take her, and she'd give him a big hug every time she saw him." He took a deep breath. "But then, Kyuubi attacked, and Oji-san was reinstated after Yondaime fell. He stopped storytelling regularly, and those stories were even more cherished by her.

"Orochimaru attacked, Sandaime fell, you know the rest." He concluded. "That's why she went berserk on you,"

Haku gave a little sigh. "I deserved it." He said.

"No, you didn't." Naruto declared. "You weren't in your right mind when you joined him,"

Haku was silent. "I don't know, I just don't know." He finally said. They were walking towards the apartment complex.

"Look, what's done is done." Naruto said, climbing the steps to the twenty –third floor. "Let's say it was your fault that all those people died. There's nothing you can do to bring them back. All you can do is do as much good as you possibly can to redeem yourself in your own eyes." He said sagely, as he automatically pulled out his keys and unlocked the door, pushing it open on its squeaky hinges. "You're staying with me tonight."

He shut the door before Hinata fainted and fell out of her perch.

"And I'm hiding the blades." He locked the door. "So don't go committing Seppaku on me."

Haku gave a weak smile. "Thank you, if there's anything you need, let me know." With that, he stretched out on the couch, and closed his eyes.

* * *

Okay, sorry everyone for the gap, I was at camp. 

Uhh… I guess that's it.

Please r&r.

--Rai


	8. Chapter 8

Hi guys.

* * *

Haku stirred, unsure where exactly he was. His hand silently groped about for a weapon. However, as soon as he wrapped his fingers around the base of a lamp, he remembered the previous day's events. 

He relaxed his arm, and opened his eyes sluggishly. He sighed, and sat up on the tough leathery couch. Worn taut by at least ten years of use, it wasn't very comfortable to sleep on.

Haku stretched his stiff back, and checked out his surroundings.

Past the old brown couch he was sitting on, and the painted plywood nightstand with the desk lamp on it, there was a plastic table and a lawn chair sitting beneath a window, which was letting in a beam of the day's first sunlight. Dust flitted in and out of the little spotlight lazily. Through the window there was a rather beautiful view of the village, with the chiseled faces of the Hokages beaming out at their creation.

Next to the window, there was a sink (filled with enough bowls to shingle a small roof), and a tiny stove that looked more like an Easy-Bake Oven©, it was so cheap and small. It looked as though it hadn't been cleaned for a century or two. Also, there was an ice box under the sink that could be mistaken for a glove compartment. Haku would have thought that it was a misplaced handle, had it not been for the crudely chisled "Ice Box"

On the front wall, there was the door they came in to, which had a poster of, left to right, Ayame, Naruto and Teuchi in front of Ichiraku's on a sunny day. It occurred to Haku that the poster must have once been just a photograph, and it had been blown up at some office supply place or something…

On the opposite wall, there was a doorway that probably led to Naruto's room.

Haku stood up, unsure exactly what to do. Looking around once more, he spotted a note on the nightstand. Doing the obvious thing, he picked it up. The Hirogana had apparently been scribbled hastily.

_Went out to train with Ero-Sennin, be back sometime tonight._

_If you really want to repay me, wash the dishes and kill anything__ nesting in my laundry pile._

_Help yourself to ramen. It's all I have, sorry._

_--Naruto_

Haku grinned and pocketed the note. He passed through the doorway and emerged in a room occupied with a single bed. Well, not exactly a bed, it was really just a mattress on the floor with a pair of blankets untidily strewn across it. There was also a small shower in a corner, and a towel had been dropped on the floor next to it.

Last of all, there was a big eyesore composed of orange fabric. Haku could swear he saw it move.

_"Well, no sense just standing here,"_ Haku thought, and set to work.

* * *

Hinata's eyes snapped open. 

Her cousin was standing over her, shaking her by the shoulders. She gave a little involuntary gasp. Neji held a finger to his lips. "Let's get back to the compound, then you can explain. Hiashi-sama doesn't know you're missing." He sniffed. There was a tone in his voice that said that there would be no compromise.

He pulled her to her feet, and they immediately began to flit through trees and roofs.

Hinata's mind began to swim with words that she couldn't seem to string into questions she could ask herself. She was now quite sure of one thing, though. This was closer than friendship. They probably even slept together! _"No, no, you don't know that,"_ She vainly tried to tell herself. But given the circumstances, and of course, her obsession with the blond, she couldn't help making the assumption, as it was part of the paranoia that comes with a crush.

The two of them sneaked quietly into the compound, and into the living quarters, where they each slipped off their shoes, and walked into Hinata's room. She sat down on the bed.

Neji slid the door shut, and made a few seals, soundproofing the room. "Now," he said loudly. "do you mind telling me why I found you out cold outside of Naruto's apartment?"

"Uh, t-training?" She said, her voice wavering.

"Not good enough." Neji said, his face stern.

Hinata hesitated, a few tears rolled from her eyes. She bit her lip, but broke down. As she buried her face in her arms, Neji sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I know. I followed you. You don't have to say anything." He whispered.

Eventually she quieted down, and Neji continued. "I didn't buy your night training excuse. Your voice shook, and you blinked too much. So I followed you." He said, watching the sun rise steadily. "I heard everything, and I just think you ought to know that I used the Byakugan. They didn't sleep together." He reassured her.

(A/N: Okay, I'm going to write this now instead of at the end when nobody reads it anyway. As far as I know, there are different intensities of the Byakugan. In this case, Neji just wanted to see into the building, not through any clothes. Please, I have considered the fact already.)

Hinata didn't speak. Neji continued. "Just make a move before she does," Hinata was still silent. "Hinata-sama," Neji gave her a squeeze. "We are your friends, you've helped us when we needed it, it's time for us to help you. Now I want you to promise me that you will tell Naruto how you feel about him on this next mission you have with him. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain."

Hinata was soundless in Neji's embrace, but finally she nodded. She took a deep breath.

"I promise, Nii-san"

* * *

Uhh…. 

Uhh….

…

…

Please r&r?


	9. Chapter 9

I--

I'm sorry, everyone.

I just... I had a sudden drop in inspiration. To be honest, I still lack it, but I will do my best.

I also want to apologize for the OOC Neji. I know he's not nice... like... at all, but the filler episodes have totally thrown me off. He was quite OOC in those, and it just messed with my perception.

This chapter will probably be short... very short. Still, I hope it will suffice for now. I'm still here.

I love you all.

* * *

Haku approached the disgusting pile of laundry cautiously, not wanting to provoke anything lurking within its orange depths. 

Finally, he made himself move. He pulled what water there was in the shower, and began to mold it with his chakra. A long figure began to emerge. Haku let it fall to the ground. It was about the length of a mailing tube, and about half the width. The serpentine shape grew a head at one end, a snake, made of water, sat in front of Haku, swaying and staring.

"Sic 'em," Haku said.

The serpent let out a low hiss and slithered into the pile in uncanny silence. While he listened for any sounds of a struggle, Haku reflected on the origins of the technique. _"Well, at least I learned _something_ from that sick, pedophilic son of a bitch."_ The snake was infused with the soul of a corn snake, which Haku had captured and killed. It was almost like a summon, but this creature did not question its orders, nor was it intelligent enough to even really know that it was alive.

There was a number of squeaks from the pile and Haku's attention refocused on the task at hand. Quickly, he raised his hand and squeezed it into a fist, much in the manner that Gaara uses his Sand Coffin. "_Senbon Tekidan no Jutsu!_ (Senbon grenade)"

The snake inside the pile exploded into senbon, which flew in every direction. There were more squeaks heard, and then silence again. Haku used his chakra to pull the senbon from where they buried themselves in the walls and ceiling.

Blood slowly began to ooze from the clothes. Haku kicked some over, and a few dead rats rolled out. He sighed and began to pick them up when there was a rap at the door.

Without a second thought, he walked to the door and turned the doorknob, it swung open immediately with the power of gravity, as the foundation was tilted.

There, robed in black as always, was Tsunade's adorable assistant with a clipboard and pen in her hands. She gave Haku a friendly smile.

"Ohayo, Shizune," Haku smiled back. They stood there a minute. "Uh, I'd invite you in, but it's really not my place to,"

"Well, let's pretend you did anyway," she stepped inside and set the clipboard down on the plastic table. "Tsunade-sama has talked to the city council about your desire to become a shinobi here, but you need to make an appeal before them, and fill out this paperwork." She held up the clipboard, which had about a half-inch of paper on it. Haku groaned.

"Well... crap." He said as he reached for the pen

She glanced at Haku's hands, which were covered in rat blood. "You need a tampon or something?"

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

Okay, everybody, I know it's really short. Once more, I am really really sorry for taking so long. Please forgive me. 

Please r&r.

--Rai


	10. Chapter 10

Hi again everyone.

Thanks for staying faithful.

Umm... Neji will probably be pretty OOC throughout, sorry.

I don't think you'll be hearing much from Hinata until later.

I think that sometime later, I might write a bit of a series of shorts using this story as a base. What I like in a Naruto fanfic is more of an anime version of That '70s Show. I like to see them doing normal things, experiencing the same things a lot of teens do. Not so much the knife fights and... oh, wait...

Anyway, I've got a decent plot line, a six pack of Guinness, iTunes open, and the bagpipes blaring. Might as well set to work.

* * *

The pen scratched quickly and deliberately on the last sheet of the stack. 

Shizune sat on the only other chair Naruto owned. With her feet up on the table opposite Haku, she tipped back and forth as she read a book she had pulled from her pocket.

The last of the scribbling was heard, and the pen dropped to the table with a 'clack'. Shizune looked up.

"Uhg!" Haku massaged his wrist, twisting it and popping it. "My wrist sounds like a castanet!"

"Huh. Tsunade-sama describes hers as an ice pick." She said in an unsympathetic fashion. "My simile of choice is pebbles in a grain thresher." She rotated her wrist slowly, which made a terrible popping noise. Haku shuddered.

Shizune picked up the papers. "Well, your appeal is tomorrow at midnight." She said, and started to leave, but stopped at the doorway. "Oh, and... good luck, Haku-kun." And with that she left.

Haku gave a weak chuckle, and returned to the pile of clothes, which smelled worse than before because of the rotting rats. Giving a heaving sigh, he set out to find a laundry basket. But this kid knew where to look, he did. Being raised on the streets, and living off of half-eaten pudding cups and old rotten sausage even the Welsh wouldn't eat, he became quite good at trash picking. After a quick glance at the garbage dump out back, he spotted an old wicker basket that seemed like such a waste to throw away. The only problem with it was that it smelled like hamster pee. But what difference would it make?

After piling up the clothes, he took the spare key and set out to the laundromat. It would take more than a cupful of detergent to get rid of five months of BO, ramen broth, and blood (both rat and human).

After quite a bit of wandering, he came across a laundromat in a plaza that no one seemed to be showing any interest in. There were maybe one or two other guys, bachelors like himself probably, After he tossed in the laundry, and all of the detergent and fabric softener he could afford, he threw the only clothes he had into another washer. His battle robes, and his casual ones, which left him sitting there in boxers. Those clothes hadn't had a wash for probably just as long.

Finally he had some time to think, for the first time in six months. However, as he contemplated the appeal the next day, he attracted a few confused glances from some of the other customers.

Obviously he noticed that he was attracting the attention and asked the manager for a piece of paper, on which he wrote "I'm a dude," and taped to his chest.

Getting back to the appeal of course, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. This would, after all, decide his future, but what would he do if he didn't pass? Get a civilian job working for the flower shop down the street? Or maybe this town had a Yakuza... no. No, he was _done_ with the mob.

The washers buzzed, and Haku wearily stood, popping his back. He piled the clothes into a dryer, threw in a sheet, and sat back down on the bench. Picking up a magazine, he waited out the cycle, put his clothes back on, and left with the hamster pee wicker basket.

Twenty minutes later found Haku back at the apartment folding clothes on the floor, when the door swung open slowly, and a big orange blob stumbled in and onto the couch. "Back already?" Haku asked nonchalantly.

"It's 8:00" Naruto grumbled.

Haku turned his head, and was surprised to find that the sky was darkening. His internal clock must have been really screwed up from sleeping in until... what, 1:00 PM? "Well, I have your clothes washed here, and I'll get to the dishes next. Where do you want these?

Naruto made a kind of incoherent mumble. "Just slide it und'r the door...z..zz..."

Haku shook his head in astonishment. What did this guy _do_ all day? He walked the pile of clothes to Naruto's room and stacked them by the dresser.

Of course, the dishes came as very little trouble to Haku, due to his, ah, proficiency with water, and he was done in about ten minutes.

When he was finished, he flipped over the scrap of paper Naruto had left his note on, and wrote his own and plopped it down on the nightstand.

_Went out. Not entirely sure when I'll be back, but probably before the night's out._

_--Haku_

* * *

Okay, that's a wrap people. It's still short, I know, but it's a little longer, at least. Right? 

The updates probably won't be as frequent as before, but hopefully more than this._  
_

Uh... please r&r.

--Rai


End file.
